Soothe Senses: 5 Ways to Beautify Your Home

Your environment can help keep you calm, cool, and collected, or it can distract you when it’s in disarray. As decorator extraordinaire Alexandra Stoddard observes in Creating a Beautiful Home, “Houses speak your language. Rooms take on your sensitivity, mood, attitude, and spirit. And when you are feeling discouraged, your four walls will comfort you because they will reflect back on you, remind you of your energy and personality. A house becomes your friend.”

Take the time to make your surroundings reflect your unique personality and soothe your senses. By infusing your home with some of the natural, nourishing elements below, you’ll have the energy to shine when it matters most.

Smell: Organic scented candles. Fresh flowers like tuberoses. Incense or a sage smudge stick. Linen sprays. Lavender sachets for your closets or drawers. A freshly baked pie. Naturally scented bath products in your bathroom. Aromatherapy lamps. Fresh laundry.

Sight: Lots of live greenery—easy-to-care-for plants such as philodendron and lucky bamboo. Colorful flowers, pillows, paint, and draped fabrics to spice up monochromatic spaces. Sunshine. Pictures of loved ones or artwork strategically displayed. Framed postcards of all the places you’ve been to and loved. Mirrors to give the illusion of more space.

Touch: Faux fur, silks, Egyptian cotton, and other fabrics. Chenille throws. Sisal rugs. Velvet, organza, or beaded curtains. Smooth stone sculptures. A pet to nurture—gold fish count, too!

Sound: Delicate wind chimes outside the bedroom window. A crackling fire. Classical, jazz, or soothing music. Water fountains. Early-morning sounds from an open window.

Taste: Fresh fruit in a wicker basket or ceramic bowl. A display of teas or hot chocolate on your kitchen counter. Clear Mason jars filled with nuts and grains. Red wine. A candy dish. Eggnog. Snowflake sugar cookies. Mulled cider spiced with cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Kimberly Wilson is a teacher, writer, do-gooder, entrepreneur, and eco-fashion designer.
Indulge in musings on tranquilology through her blog and podcast, Tranquility Du Jour. Learn more at kimberlywilson.com.

Yoga+ is an award-winning, independent magazine that contemplates the deeper dimensions of spiritual life–exploring the power of yoga practice and philosophy to not only transform our bodies and minds, but inspire meaningful engagement in our society, environment, and the global community.

Read more: Green Home Decor, Health, Home

By Kimberly Wilson, Yoga +

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Sanja T.

1:03PM PDT on Oct 1, 2010

thanks...

send a green star

Mary M.

11:29AM PDT on Jul 3, 2010

im a decorating addic, but also a pack rat. i should keep this article in mind :) Thanks for sharing.

Ashtyn D.

1:55AM PDT on May 3, 2010

Very true! Great Article and great ideas!

Steph Y.

10:44AM PST on Feb 7, 2010

COOOL. :) thanks!

Past Member .

6:57PM PST on Dec 20, 2009

It's amazing how tiny changes in your environment can alter your mood and general attitude. Thanks for the article!

Anna H.

1:24PM PDT on Sep 23, 2009

love it!

Teresa T.

9:50AM PDT on Sep 22, 2009

Good article. Holly and Miss Info you're right, clutter negatively affects the senses and in my case just makes me feel uptight and depressed; and the decor/feeling of a home should be a reflection of everyone who lives there; not just the wife/female. Just because a man, or men (adult son living at home) don't necessarily notice things in their surrounding right off the bat, it doesn't mean they want to live in a girly girl environment.

megan m.

4:56PM PDT on Sep 21, 2009

I don't agree with the implication of using pets as a decorative element....

otherwise nice article.

Judy P.

4:11PM PDT on Sep 21, 2009

Yes, I agree with the article and ditto to all the comments -- I just love beautiful things and keeping things beautiful! And all the wonderful fresh scents God provides and the talents He has given those who are so creative!

Miss I.

2:27PM PDT on Sep 21, 2009

When I go to people's houses, the first thing I notice is the smell. Potpourri and candles often make my sinuses go haywire, but cigarette smoke is the worst. My hubby says he hardly ever notices anything about a person's home unless it smells bad. THEN he notices. Mold, smoke, pets ... otherwise, as a guy, he just doesn't care.

I always try to be aware that half of the visitors to my house, and half the people living in it, are men. I don't confine my hubby's tastes to his office. When I visit someone and the whole house is done up in flowers and girly stuff, I think, "Doesn't her husband live here too? Is he comfortable in all this? Did he get to vote on the decor?" I like to see evidence that everyone living in a home has input on how it looks.